Removing a Dam, Restoring a Watershed

In September 2021, a defunct, century-old dam was removed from Mill Creek, in the San Vicente watershed, inland from Davenport, CA.

This moment capped a decade of restoration efforts in the watershed at the southern end of San Vicente Redwoods, to bring back Coho salmon and improve redwood forest resiliency. Restoring the watershed has also helped the Amah Mutsun tribal band re-establish their relationship to the land and to their history. Their partnership and research deepens our understanding of what stewardship means, for forests, for water, and for everyone.

We invite you to hear from the many voices of the Mill Creek dam story.

This film and removal of the Mill Creek dam were made possible by the Open Rivers Fund, a program of Resources Legacy Fund supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Funding for the project also came from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

San Vicente Redwoods is an 8,852-acre stretch of forest that is currently owned and managed by four conservation organizations: Sempervirens Fund, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Save the Redwoods League, and Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

Learn more about the Amah Mutsun Land Trust: amahmutsunlandtrust.org

Learn more about Sempervirens Fund: sempervirens.org